Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-06-30

of character, anyone of these outweighs
beauty of person, even in the scales of
society. to say nothing of celestial
valtes. She says much of the insanties
of fashion and a book full of good
thoughts.
JACK.
In the June Century appears story
with the above title, from the pen of
Elizabeth Stuart Phelps. The Voice
says, there is no woman in Amerlca-and
we may as well say no man-whose pen
can reach the deepest seats of emotion
more unerringly than that of Miss
Phelps, and her pen has never given us
a stronger, more pathetic, more thought
producing story than ''Jack." II am
not writing a temperance story" she
says, in the course of her narrative,
"only the biography of fisherman.
Yet it is a temperance story, not of the
wishy-washy goody-goody sort, but one
to thrill men and women in every fiber.
We cannot spare the space for analysis
of the story, nor could we do justice to
it, in an analysis, and yet there are a
few points to be dwelt upon.
Jack is the son of a drunken fisher
man who fell from the mast while
drunk, shortly after Jacks birth. Jack
himself in spite of his mothers care,
followed in his fathers footsteps. and
one night while only twelve was brought
home drunk.
1t was the first time, he was only
twelve, and one of the Fairharbor boys
took the pipe from his mouth to explain:
He was trapped by Portygee and
they've stole every cent of him, n kicked
him out n lef' him stranded like monk
fish, so me and the orhter fellers we
borreyed sled and brung him home for
we thought his mother ID rather. He
amt dead but as drunk as if he was
sixty 'The Fairharbor boy mentioned
this circumstance with kind of pride
as if such maturity were a point for
comrade to make note of. But Jacks
step-father went out softly and shut the
door, and said. Look here boys-help
me in with him, but not that way. His
mother is there. She died an hour
ago"
And so he began life, and so he con-
tinued it getting deeper and deeper into
the mire of inebriety. 1.-THE curse of
his heredity was upon him. We may
blame, we may loathe, we may wonder,
we may despair, but we must not
forget
Jacks reforms were many, but
transient. The curse of his heredity
was upon him, and it had brought
not only the "alcoholized brain cells"
one of the few requests to society which
the heirs do not dispute, but the weak
will and the banker in the pit o. the
stomach as well.
The story follows his life, his love and
marriage, his reform again and again,
his downfall, his murder of Teen, his
wife in fit of drunken jealousy and
his suicide after SOLDERING up when a
shipmate informed him what he had
done.
1t is a story that contains the pathos
of lifetime-of many lifetimes.
When one reflects on the story's truth
to life; reflects on the number of Jacks
there are with the curse of their heredity
upon them; reflects on the many quaver-
ing voices of drunkard's mothers, crying
''at'' God, singing in tremulous tones,
Rock OF ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in the.
"When one reflects on the many Teens
with their heaven-piercing cries of, you
said you'd be kind to mel when one
reflects that all their pathos and tragedy
comes into the world day after day, as
no pen can portray it, then the time has
come for the reader to work for
temperance.
The story will probably seem an ex-
ageration to those not acquainted with
sea- harbor life or with the depravity of
drunkenness. But fearful testimony
proves the worst true. 1t is important
to notice the stress laid upon the danger
and terror of heredity in the alcohol
habit.
Worcester, Mass. has had the same
marshal for two years. He reports
that in 1886, with mo license" there
were 60 arrests per months less, than in
1885 with license.
Whatever else Powderly may be, he is
wise about drink. In a recent speech
he said: Had 1000, 900 tongues and
a throat for each tongue, would say to
every man, woman and child here to-
night. Throw strong drink aside as you
would an ounce of liquid hell. Il sears
the conscience 1t destroys every thing
it touches. +"
The Flower Mission Committee will
be at the social room of the Congrega-
tional church, next Tuesday. from II to
3 o'clock as usual and hope that our
friends will send in flowers. The Chi
cago Mission seems to highly appreciate
the Lancaster donations of flowers.
-
Be sure to remember the w. G. L. q.
meeting next Friday. July /.
Miss Willard Is the pride of her moth
er and Mrs. Willard is the glory of her
daughter.